#prince!michael

A masquerade ball offers Michael one last night to be with the person he loves.

1.2k words

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Copyright © 2021 calpops. All rights reserved. This original work is not allowed to be reposted on any platform in any format (translations included).

♔ ♔ ♔

The ballroom was aglow. Chandeliers hung from high vaulted ceilings, flames blazed above and left a lurid haze of warmth in their wake. Michael swept into the room as a crashing crescendo hit its queue. The music was loud, overwhelming when mixed with the crowd of strangers. He knew no one, if not for the masks on their faces, then for the fact his home was filled with dignitaries and lords and ladies of lands he had never been to. His eyes scanned the room, from the glistening display of ice sculptures to the exuberant amount of food lining tables against the walls.

for the abuse recs i’m going to link our abuse tag and abusive relationship tag as the list is so long as it is and there are A Lot of fics that fall under that category on ao3 (make sure to read the tags of each fic and look after yourself <33). if anyone wants a new list for the abuse tags just send an ask! other than that here’s a list of royal aus :-)

Lashton

Royally Pirate

Crowns and Riches

Once Upon a Dream

A Kingdom of Love and not of War

Castle Murmurs

a kingdom of hearts (but not of love)

Ashton, a Prince? Yeah right.

No Place Like Home

i'll be yours truly unbelievable (luke is underage)

Prince

Save Me From Who I'm Supposed To Be

no i could not want you more (then i did right then)

Cinderfella

Muke

When I First Met You There Was A Garden

Northern Lights

I'm Sitting Eyes Wide Open And I Got One Thing Stuck In My Mind (I Don't Wanna Fit Wherever)

Rebel Heart

We'll Never Be Royals

That One Name

Romeo Take Me Somewhere We Can Be Alone (It's A Love Story Baby Just Say Yes)

One True Love

come alive and bring the thunder

Cake

Baby Boy, I Can Misbehave

Genre: royal/angst/fluff

Pairings: Michael Clifford/Reader

Word Count: 900+

Requested: by anon

Can you do a royal!au for Michael month? Price Michael could wreck me I am just SAYING. 💗💗 

Trigger Warnings: strong language

A/N: I know this is pretty short but I hope you like it! 

***

The news of your engagement to Prince Michael hadn’t gone own well at all. 

You’d always known that as the only son of the current monarch, whoever Michael chose to spend his life with would come under extreme criticism from his family, the royal council and the general public. The speculation over his involvement with you had been the biggest scandal within recent memory and you’d been advised to break things off. Of course, the love you have for each other hadn’t allowed either of you to entertain that possibility and you’d chosen to weather the media storm together.

However, just when your relationship was starting to become ‘old news’, Michael had proposed. You’d both done your very best to keep it a secret, but someone close to you had leaked some photos and Michael had been forced to make a formal announcement. That had been a week ago, and the media are still talking all kinds of shit and you’re worried that Michael is close to breaking point. 

When the prince walks through the front door of private estate you’d been granted, looking pale and exhausted, you contemplate whether you should just call the whole thing off. As much as you love Michael and want to spend the rest of your life with him, the drama surrounding your impending marriage is already taking its toll on both of you.

“I don’t know how much longer I can cope with that fucking circus out there.” Michael sighs, leaning heavily against the door he’s just closed. “Haven’t they got more important things to focus on?”

heY IM EXCITED FOR THIS I HOPE YOU LIKE THIS

michael and y/n

+

he was dead. his eyes were never to be opened again. his chest will never rise and fall with each breath. his heart will never best in time with the woman he loves and calls his queen.

michael was dead as well. maybe not in the same way as his father, but michael was surely dead. his eyes were dull, and probably will never be full of life again. it hurt to breath. the weight of his father’s death was pressing down on his lungs. his heart beats, but michael surely wished it didn’t.

it was time for him to marry a woman he most likely will never love. he needed to find his rightful bride so he could finally step up to the throne and live out his full potential. but was anyone good enough to satisfy michael’s needs? he needed someone to save him from his own mind—someone to fill the gaping hole inside his heart.

but it was hard.

queen karen has found many girls who fit the profile of the next queen. michael was bitter though, never liking the girls and always finding some type of flaw to point out. if he was going to rule a kingdom with a woman who would always be by his side, he should at least like her as a friend, maybe even an acquaintance.

the realm of a far away kingdom that was surrounded by a forest of enchantment intrigued michael. villages were full of people who were so kind to one another. the weather always seemed to be happy and bright. all of the optimism and positivity convinced michael that something had to be up. someone must be as sad as he was inside.

“queen karen, prince michael, we have arrived,” a man said through the partition of michael’s carriage.

the door opened and with that, it revealed a kingdom of such beauty and grace that took michael’s breath away. the vibes from this place seemed off. everyone had smiles on their faces and it just didn’t seem right. michael’s scowl most likely did not fit in a world like this.

as the michael and his mother were escorted to the doors of the palace, commoners were scattered around to get a glimpse of the mysterious prince no one ever sees. he was beautiful, and everyone seemed to notice. girls were smiling stupidly and swooning. michael didn’t like the feel of the attention.

“mother, what is the name of this princess?” michael whispered, leaning closer to his mother’s ear. he didn’t want to seem uneducated, but michael truly was. he could barely speak english correctly, let alone run a kingdom. michael couldn’t even remember this princess’s name.

karen laughed quietly. “there are two. the eldest goes by the name cora and the younger one is y/n. you are here for cora,” his mother explained.

michael and karen entered the entrance hall and michael had to conceal the small gasp that escaped his lips momentarily. the mural on the walls were extravagant and the chandelier swinging above was pulchritudinous. this place was more beautiful than the palace back in michael’s realm. he was jealous.

now, as they walked farther and farther into the edifice, four figures stood at the top of the stairs. as the four walked down altogether, michael was smothered by a cloud of confusion.

there stood the king and queen. their clothes were made from satin and wore the royal crest on the right side of their chests. colors that represent the kingdom adorned their body, and of course, they had that sickening smile everyone seemed to have in this place.

beside them was a pair of two siblings. one of a male and the other a female. the brother had eyes that seemed cynical, as if he was not to be trusted. the girl beside him seemed just as wicked with a smile that could kill. they looked happy, but they seemed off.

there wasn’t a second sister. that’s what threw michael off. where was this y/n? sure, cora looked gorgeous with the red lips that looked so sinister and lustful,yet she didn’t seem like someone michael could love. she looked wicked and evil beneath her layers of pretty looks and inviting lips.

“prince michael,” cora welcomed, curtseying slightly at michael’s feet.

“princess cora,” michael replied. he bowed and she smiled even wider. all of the smiles were starting to rub michael the wrong way.

extending her arm out to michael’s she said, “would you do the honors of leading me towards the dining room?”

after allowing her to wrap her cold hands around his arm, he escorted her towards the dining room. he followed the path his mother and the rest of cora’s family—excluding the unknown y/n—towards the dining room.

michael pulled out cora’s chair, and then took a seat himself. the meal was nice but michael was bored. so instead of staying with the annoyingly positive family, michael promised to walk cora back to her chambers and then he promised himself to get the hell away from any other human.

while the two walked back to the chamber, cora attempted to strike up some sort of conversation. he didn’t want to be rude, so he did force a smile that felt wrong in every way and nodded along to each word she said.

“michael, you’re awfully quiet,” cora said. they reached the chamber doors. michael nodded again and she frowned. it was the first frown besides his own he’s seen all day. cora’s bitter look looked more like a playful pout. “i mean, i could help you be a little loud. i’m good at that.”

her nimble and cold as ice fingers trailed up michael’s blazer and he felt his breath catch in his throat. “i’m tired from today’s journey, princess. i must rest for tomorrow’s events,” michael lied, bowing once more in the presence of cora. “good night.”

and with that, michael was speedily walking down the corridors to find safety in his bedroom. cora was gorgeous, he thought. but there’s something off about her. it seemed as if there was something off about everyone here. michael just couldn’t place his finger on it.

soon, he was wandering about, not knowing where he was heading or where he was in that moment. after turning a corner quickly in hopes of running into a guard, he did run into someone, or run over someone. her body was on the floor in one of those pretty, patriotic dresses everyone was wearing tonight. michael didn’t remember seeing this woman from dinner. it was a high possibility that she was a maid who wasn’t present during dinner.

“shit, shit, shit,” she mumbled. michael’s forest green eyes widened in shock, confused as to why someone would use such a language in front of royalty. he hasn’t heard words like that ever since the king passed away. now, the king was a great and respectful man, but when he stubbed his toe on the corners of every piece of furniture on the planet, curses would just spew from his lips like a volcano.

“i’m so sorry, miss. i wasn’t looking—” michael said while extending his hand out to her. when their skin made contact, michael felt tingles in his hand and an unsettling feeling in his stomach. hopefully, the mysterious lady felt it to.

as he hoisted her up and gripped her hand tighter, he looked straight into her eyes. “oh fuck,” she whispered. she ripped her hand out of his grip and frowned. the girl actually frowned and michael was amazed by her unfiltered vocabulary and nonexistent aura of positivity.

“look, miss—”

“you don’t have to be so formal. it’s just me.”

“but who are you exactly?” michael asked. she twisted the ends of her hair between the pads of her fingers.

then, she frowned again. “i really can’t say.”

“and why is that?”

“i have to go.”

with that, she was running down the halls again, her feet slipping on the slippery, smooth surface. “wait!” michael shouted and she stopped running to pivot her head to look over her shoulder. “will i see you again?”

the girl wanted to frown again, knowing that she probably will never see the handsome boy in the fancy clothes, but she instead smiled at him. michael realized that this was an off smile, but it wasn’t like the others’. this smile was sad and forced, but michael already adored her smile, her vulgarity, clumsiness, and her.

+

“do you have a sister?” michael asked right when he saw cora enter one of the many rooms in this building.

“um, we used to. princess y/n hasn’t been seen for ages, and we surely do miss her.” cora looked down at her hands as she spoke and walked to the garden. “how was your sleep, prince?” cora inquired, attempting to change the subject. she plucked a leaf off of a bush in the royal garden. this place never ceased to amaze michael. the garden was colorful and full of life and he would love to sit in this garden and just be. “michael?”

michael snapped out of his daze and looked deep into cora’s eyes. they seemed as dull as everyone’s did in this area, but he remembered that the girl’s from last night were absolutely full of wonder.

“i’m sorry, princess, but my mind has been racing all night.”

cora smirked. “is there a reason as to why?”

over cora’s shoulder was a figure sitting among the flowers. her hair was the same color as the maiden’s from last night.

“princess, i must escort you back to the castle. there are things i must do.”

michael quickly ushered her towards the palace, lightly shoving her inside with a guard. once he was sure that cora was inside and no one else was around, he began to slowly stride over to the girl among the daisies.

when michael was finally close enough, he saw her plucking each individual petal from the center of the daisy.

“why hello,” michael said, catching her attention instantly.

as if it were a reflex, she shot up from the grown and dusted the nonexistant dirt off of her dress. her attire was different—a dress of white adorning her body. it made her seem more angelic, which matched her fair features.

“um, hi?” she replied. it was awkward and michael found it endearing. “i gotta go.”

before she could escape michael again, he swiftly gripped her forearm, preventing her from leaving. “please don’t go. sit back down and we can talk.”

confused, she slowly sat back down in the flowers and michael sat beside her, crossing his legs like a child would at school. it was odd seeing a boy in such fine clothing sitting on the ground.

“talk about what?”

“i don’t know. maybe we can start off with names?” michael suggested.

her expression remained stoic and her breathing ceased. “y/n.”

“y/n? as in the y/n?”

“i’m guessing you’ve heard of me,” she frowned. “what have you heard?”

“not much really. i kinda thought you were dead,” michael mumbled.

“hm, so my family’s still going with that lie?” michael’s eyes furrowed in confusion and y/n’s face fell. “they’re ashamed of me. i know they are. i’m not even supposed to be out here, like, i always have to stay in my room and it’s all because i’m not the queen’s child. i’m a child of an affair, a-and i’ve said too much. i’m sorry.”

with that, michael watched her get up and run away twice in the span of twenty four hours.

+

now that michael knew why y/n was never present for any events that went on in the castle, he was even more restless. he truly wanted to spend time with her instead of cora who always had to be touching him in some type of way and her brother who sat around and moped all day. it seemed as if he didn’t have a vocabulary and it bothered michael. he thought that cora and y/n’s brother would get along better with him.

the past two days were hell. he hated how peppy and cheery the banquet hall was. because it was the brother’s birthday. everyone was running about and michael wanted to just slam himself into one of brick buildings to avoid everyone. still, queen karen insisted that he must spend time with cora. michael never even agreed to marrying cora. it was just a big no in his mind.

yet, here he was, walking around the castle for what felt like the thousandth time with her hand wrapped around his bicep. they stopped for a break because cora had to go to the bathroom, so michael walked farther away and waited for her at the end of the hall. as soon as his back hit the chill of the stone, he heard voices.

“father, i am literally on my hands and knees begging you to let y/n come to this party,” michael recognized as the prince’s voice said. after hearing this, michael wanted to rush over and beg as well, but he stayed in place with clammy hands and quiet breathing.

the sound footsteps drew nearer but then the sound stopped. “you know how your mother feels about her. we mustn’t upset her.”

the prince groaned. “but, my goodness she is literally always in that room. just please, let her out to come join the banquet as a mere commoner.”

“i’ll see what i can do.”

+

the banquet was normal. there were fancy dresses and expensive suits and endless tables of every food imaginable. michael watched cora greet her guests whilst chewing on a cookie he found lying around on a plate with others. it was chewy and michael liked it.

when michael grabbed a glass of champagne from a tray a servant was holding. he almost choked on the liquid he was drinking when he spotted y/n a few feet away with the prince, looking extremely awkward. y/n saw him too and her eyes widened in shock.

she mouthed some words to her half brother before making her way across the room to michael. when she reached the spot in front of him, she greeted him softly. y/n mumbled a, “so i heard you’re a prince who’s planning to marry cora. interesting choice i must say.”

michael immediately shook his head. “i’m not marrying her. she’s not someone i’d like to marry.”

“well that probably sucks for her because she’s kinda glaring at me. i feel her hatred for me from across the room,” y/n laughed as her and michael turned towards cora at the same time. it gave away that they were obviously talking about her.

cora’s heels began to click against the floor, a mean look on her face. “oh shit,” y/n said, her heart falling into the pit of her stomach. “fuck, i gotta go.”

michael quickly grasped her hand, intertwining their fingers so they interlocked. y/n looked up at him, extremely confused and slightly nervous. “c’mon, let’s get out of here before we’re brutally murdered,” michael suggested before tugging her along towards the doors.

she smiled at him, and then afterwards, they ran away from the banquet and an infuriated cora.

both of them ran fast through the halls. y/n tugged him along, make a sharp left turn into a stairwell. after giggling and stumbling upstairs, y/n smiled at the view from the balcony. the tall boy beside her was amazed at the lights and the music and laughter he heard below him. cora was yelling at her brother who was yelling right back at her.

“you look really happy right now,” michael stated as y/n stopped looking at the crowd and turned towards him. “it’s really cute.” he stepped closer to her. “can i do something?” he asked.

she nodded her head slowly before michael continued to walk over to her. once his hand reached up to caress her cheek, y/n’s breathing slowed. “are you about to do what i think you’re about to do?” michael nodded leaning his head forward so their foreheads are touching. “fuck, michael. you’re making me nervous.”

“don’t be.”

michael crashed his lips into her and she instantly captured his lips with hers. her lower back was pressed against the edge of the balcony as michael softened the kiss. it was light and less eager than before, but it still had the two of them gasping for air.

y/n pulled away. “okay, what the fuck?”

“i’m sorry. was that weird?” michael asked, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“no. actually, it was okay.”

“how would you feel about being my queen?” michael asked.

y/n’s jaw dropped. “michael—”

“i’m going to be a king and i want you to be my queen. it just wouldn’t be the same if there was somebody else by my side. so what do you say?” he questioned as the sound of laughter and music seemed to still in that moment.